


The Highly Suspicious Loss of Christmas Spirit

by cuphugaddict



Series: The Series of Highly Suspicious Barisi-Events [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Case at Christmas, Christmas, Christmas dinner gone wrong, Gen, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Not Too Explicit Though, POV Barba, Possibly Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 00:44:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13155552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuphugaddict/pseuds/cuphugaddict
Summary: When Barba gets called in due to a case on December the 26th, he and the squad meet a completely new version of Carisi: Carisi the Grinch. Determined to find out what had caused the considerable decline in the detective's usual Christmas Spirit, Barba is going on a mission to get to the bottom of this.





	The Highly Suspicious Loss of Christmas Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys, so this is my first fic in this particular fandom - to which I am rather new, by the way - but I just got this idea stuck in my head for the past two days and I had to write it down. I don't even know if I particularly like it or if this is going to continue, I just thought I throw it out there because someone might enjoy it. I hope you do :)
> 
> Fair warning: I messed with the canon a little bit.

 

Rafael Barba took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, mentally preparing himself for whatever might happen once the door of the elevator opened. It was however not the fact that people apparently went crazy during the holidays and had the rate of sexual harassment and/or crime go up during Christmas time by at least two thirds, if they were lucky. He was used to that by now. No, what he was scared of was the disgustingly smelling cup of eggnog that was held right under his nose as soon as he stepped off the elevator. Like last year. Or the red and green tinsel that has been thrown into his face the year before. Or the sound of “Last Christmas” echoing from each and every speaker in the office, like the year before that. He was surprised that Fin had tolerated the last one, to be honest.

Responsible party for the Christmas disasters of the last years was one detective from Staten Island whose holiday spirit could not be broken. Not even by a priest who deemed Christmas a worthy time of year to assault the altar boys. To be fair, Carisi had knocked back the eggnog a bit harder than the rest of them – but still he was running around the office like a madman, offering each and every one of them home-baked cookies ( _Seriously, when did he even find time to do that?!_ ) at least five times in an hour, wearing a ridiculous tie with holly pattern. Barba scolded himself for not being prepared for this in the first place. _Of course_ Carisi would be a Christmas fanatic staring to radiate cheer and holiday spirit on the first of December at the very least.

Today, however, when the door of the elevator dinged open there was no eggnog, no horrible music and no tinsel – thank God. The whole squad appeared to be in front of the board they usually clipped their suspects on, discussing wildly. Frowning slightly, Barba approached, briefly greeted by Benson who wished him a merry Christmas which he only countered with an “Is it?” and a raised eyebrow before he dropped down on one of the free chairs. He might not be a detective himself, but the thing he immediately recognized was the absence of a certain the blonde detective. Then again, it was the late afternoon of December the 26th, so he was most likely on his way from a family dinner or whatever normal people did on a day like this. He had called his mother, who visited friends of hers in Cuba. It had to suffice.

Concentrating again of the case at hand, a young woman who had been raped by her uncle at a family dinner – Rafael knew why he didn’t do those, he thought sarcastically – only to be assaulted again on her way home – “Ungh!” from Rollins, a sigh from Fin and an “Indeed” directed towards the both of them from his own good self – he pushed Carisi’s absence onto the back of his mind. When they had discussed their further actions on the case, the blonde detective made his usually _graceful_ entrance, dark blue coat weaving, horrendous Christmas sweater on and strands of hair loose. Barba was about to make a comment, he really was (and he could see that Rollins and Fin were on the verge of commenting on the blinking nose of the reindeer on the blue sweater as well), but refrained from doing so as a cookie jar was dropped onto their table from about two feet above the same, accompanied by a muttered “Merry Christmas” that no one could really hear. Even Liv raised her eyebrows and silence filled the room. This was not good, they all were sure of it. Troubling Carisi-matters aside, Liv continued to assign them all their respective tasks – surprise, surprise; warrants for him – and then gave Carisi a short briefing on the case while Rollins and Fin were already sent on their way for interrogations. He and Liv would stay behind and talk again to the young woman, trying to get her to narrow the description of the second perp (Barba cringed) down.

Just as he stood up, eyeing the lovelessly abandoned cookie jar in the middle of the table suspiciously, he heard Liv asked Carisi where he had been. Not in a demanding way because if anyone knew how their job could interfere with family matters it was their dear Sergeant but Carisi sighed deeply and muttered, “Christ Sarge, gimme a break!” before he moved towards the coffee machine. Liv, too stunned to even reply anything, only looked at Barba with eyes round as plates. He was sure, he didn’t look much better himself, as much as he hated to admit it. He cleared his throat, “Okay, who is this hybrid and what have they done to our Christmas-enthusiast?”

Liv only raised her hands in surrender, “I don’t know but I don’t have time or the nerve to deal with this right now. You go check on him and I am going to talk to Sandra. … I’ll record everything so you’ll have something to work with.” And with that she was on her way towards her office, leaving a confused Barba who shouted “Why do I have to play the babysitter? At least give me Noah, he has more reason!” behind. As Liv closed her door and did not open it again, Barba sighed, clearly knowing when a battle was lost. He picked up the cookie jar and made his way towards the break room, where Carisi was doubtlessly shedding the hideous sweater in favor of the spare suit he kept there. Thank God!

His assumption was proven right as he opened the door after a court knock where he found Carisi with the sweater over his head. Barba suppressed a grin. Said grin faded with the detective’s “Oh not you as well Barba! Can’t any of you guys leave me alone for a damn minute?” The ADA took a deep breath and set his eyes on his target. This would be harder than expected: “Everyone out there was thinking the same thing and as per usual, I am the one addressing it: What on earth has happened to you and your disgustingly joyful Christmas-spirit Carisi?” The blonde, now sweater free, glared – actually _glared_ – at Barba before he answered, “What on earth do you mean by that?”

Rafael smirked. He was a sought after ADA for a reason – he had prepared for this. He pulled the cookie jar from behind his back and placed it on the bench in front of the Detective. “Exhibit A.”

Carisi rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry you have to get your eggnog yourself this year …” Carisi replied and turned around to pull the dark blue Henley over his head. Did that man really have to undress in front of him? Barba did a double take once he saw the muscles in the detective’s shoulders ripple. Thank God he wore one of those typically Italian undershirts … otherwise Rafael might have lost his focus. “I thought you hated it anyway …”

“Huh? Yes … Well, I didn’t _hate_ it per se, just not first thing in the morning Carisi,” Barba told the blonde, who now changed into a light blue shirt.

“What, you’d prefer scotch, Counsellor?” Carisi turned around, staring to button said shirt.

Barba rolled his eyes, “If you knew, why did you give me that sugar-spiked monstrosity?”

The man opposite of him started to tap his foot, “Are you really going to stay there watching me change?”

Rafael sighed dramatically, “If that’s what it takes to get an answer out of you I’m willing to sacrifice myself to the procedure. … For the squad, of course.”

Now Carisi was the one rolling his eyes, “Seriously? You guys are always the biggest grinches I have come to see in my whole life and now, the _one time_ I do not attempt to cheer everyone up because _Hurray! We have another horrendous crime during Christmas season!_ you give me a hard time? You blame me? Seriously?”

Barba couldn’t help himself: “Did you just say _Hurray_?”

The detective threw his hands up in the air and started to unbutton his jeans. Barba knew he had to interfere before things got … out of hand. So he was going to do something drastic: He was going to apologize. “Sorry, sorry Carisi. It’s just … That’s not you, you know. Something has happened, it is more than obvious and the squad would like to help. God knows you have done your share of that for everybody else.”

The blonde stared at him in disbelieve – clearly, it was the effect of the apology – and after a few moments of heavy silence, his shoulders sagged and he sat down on the bench in front of him, running his hands over his face. “I had a huge fight with my parents.”

“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.” Rafael said and walked over to the bench as well in order to sit down. Carisi would do that, right? Provide comfort – if the roles were reversed. He would most likely even reach out a hand and put it on Barba’s shoulders or something. He, however, would not take things that far. Proximity had to suffice. “Come on now Carisi, don’t let me do this like during a cross-examination in court. What did you fight about?”

Carisi sighed, head still in his hands, “About Lucas. And then I had a fight with Lucas about my parents. And then I got the call from the Sarge and Lucas was in my face about it. That I was always putting my job above everything else. And by then, hearing from Benson what had happened and why I should come in, I was so mad that I told him he maybe should get another boyfriend. He made a huge fuss and demanded that I stop the car. _On the freaking highway!_ Tell me, who makes a scene on the fucking highway?! And I think he broke up with me before he got out of the car but I am not sure.” Somewhere during Carisi’s monologue, he had looked up at Barba with glistening eyes and now he looked expectantly at the ADA. “Sufficient enough for you Counsellor or should I elaborate further?”

Barba blinked, “Just …”, he raised a finger and gulped, “… just give me a moment, I think my brain stopped functioning around the time you said boyfriend.”

Carisi rolled his eyes, but still Barba could make out a faint snort, “Seriously? The term boyfriend makes you shut up? If only I had known earlier …”

“Feisty, Carisi. Don’t push your luck”, Barba warned but his lips curled into a slight smirk. Carisi tenderly smiled back. “So your parents knew?” Barba asked after a few moments and Carisi nodded. “Yeah, they wanted to meet him. And as we had scheduled our Christmas dinner anyway I thought I could introduce Lucas to my family then.”

Barba snorted, “First mistake. Never introduce dates on huge holiday celebrations. There’s no way you’re getting out before you had dessert and that can take a long time …” Barba emphasized and looked at his hands.

Carisi however looked up, “I kind of figured that out by now …” he muttered sarcastically. “So you have experience with this?”

Barba smirked, “I once brought a boyfriend home for Christmas dinner as well. During college. Did you know that the traditional dish in Cuba is roasted pig? Let me tell you something: It takes a looooong time until it is ready.”

The detective’s face actually turned into a smile – full dimples. To say Rafael was relieved would be the understatement of the year. “Open fire and everything?”

The ADA nodded, “Open fire and everything. It was torture! By the time we had that damn animal on our plates I was sure that this was the last time that I would see his pretty face.”

Carisi actually started to chuckle and Barba sighed happily. They were getting somewhere after all. Rafael however wanted things to be more precise than that vague haze they established between them by then. It kind of was in his job description. “So you fought with your boyfriend about your job, alright. But if your parents knew about him, why did you fight about him with your parents?”

Carisi sighed. “Well – Lucas is a bit … He owns an art gallery. And uhm, I guess he is an artsy person.” Rafael could almost picture the scarf but for once he remained silent. “And when he started talking about expressionism and stuff like that, my family didn’t quite get into the discussion, you know. I mean, not that my family wouldn’t know about art but …”

Barba could practically see how torn the man in front of him was: On the one hand desperately wanting to stick up for his boyfriend, on the other hand defending that his family wasn’t into expressionism. So Rafael decided he would take pity on him, “It’s just not everybody’s cup of tea. Believe me, I get it.”

Carisi looked up at him like he had hung the sun. It was adorable. “Exactly. And … then Theresa started to call him a snob and Gina fake-whispered into my ear if I really thought he was the right guy for me and … It was a disaster.”

Rafael nodded and crooked his head. “The question you have to ask yourself sooner or later is the following – and I’m aware that heaven forbid I am going to sound like your sister…” Carisi snorted, “Is he – Lucas – Is Lucas worth it? Will he be worth working through all the troubles that might arise when you keep bringing him to Christmas dinners with the Carisis?” Barba witnessed the blonde biting his lip, “Because I am certain that such problems can be dealt with, however during a probably extended amount of time.”

The man sitting next to him ran his hands over his face. “Maybe. I don’t know. I mean …” _Oh dear, the hand waving starts again_ , Rafael thought, a clear sign of the other man’s uncertainty. “It hasn’t even been that long. The only reason why I brought him with me to Christmas dinner was because my family kept pestering me about the recent dates. Not unlike you guys, by the way …” Carisi looked at the ADA with a small smirk playing on his lips and Barba had to do a double take: “Wait! … Carisi, are you telling me that this Lucas-person is Ms Raw Foods?”

Now Carisi’s lips turned into a full smirk, “ADA Barba, not immune to common office gossip. Who would have thought?”

Rafael rolled his eyes, “I am sure you know how it is to have Rollins in your face about it …”

Carisi snorted and nodded, “That I do …” Then he sat up straighter and Rafael was pleased to notice that he looked more like the Carisi he … found so unnerving. He had almost thought something along the lines of _liked_ , heaven forbid. The Christmas spirit was finally catching up with him, he supposed.

“I don’t know …” Carisi continued, “I mean, the thing with Lucas, it’s nice.” Barba shrugged for lack of a proper response, “But I don’t know if we … click, you know.”

Barba crooked his head, “I am saying this as a … friend” he cringed and Carisi smiled his dimple-smile again, “not an objective third party, alright?” The detective nodded, “If that guy doesn’t respect your job and how important the same as well as your family is for you, I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“He’s also constantly complaining about my faith …” Carisi said more to himself than to Rafael, who could not help to notice how Carisi blushed once he realized he had just said that out loud. “I believe I made my point …” he replied, which was countered by Carisi with a silent “Yeah.”

Suddenly the door to the break room burst open, revealing an understandably stressed-looking Liv. “Carisi, when you finish up could you …” She stopped mid-sentence as she saw Rafael and the detective sitting next to each other on the bench in the break room. Rafael could only imagine what picture the two of them painted but he knew that a smile was tugging at Liv’s lips but she refused to let it show, “… go through the statement of our victim and see if anything stands out to you? After you’ve buttoned up your shirt and pants, of course …”

Carisi flushed to an even deeper shade of red while Rafael now had a hard time to fight the fit of laughter himself. “Sorry … yes, of course, sorry …” the blonde stuttered and Liv only nodded, closing the door after her, doubtlessly eager to finally release her smirk.

“I would say we have managed to give way to another round of office gossip …” Rafael said, taking pity on the flustered man beside him. It however only made it worse, as it seemed:

“Rollins is never going to leave this alone … not after …” Carisi actually clamped his hand over his lips which Barba again found quite endearing. He needed to get out of this damnable office ASAP.

He raised his eyebrow, “What, you think I don’t know about the rumors about the time you shadowed me?” Carisi looked at him as horrified as anybody could. “I have a secretary, Carisi, who, besides her many qualities, has one flaw: She is unbearably nosy and was pestering me with _casual_ questions for weeks.”

“Oh my God!” the detective exclaimed and threw his face in his hands again.

Rafael smirked. It was just too good to let an opportunity like this one pass. “Never mention Rita …”

“Calhoun?” Carisi croaked from somewhere to his left.

“The very same … even Buchanan …”

“OH MY GOD!” Carisi exclaimed again and doubtlessly sunk further into the depths of his embarrassment.

“I believe you already said that”, Rafael teased and got up to let Carisi wallow in his misery alone. He had warrants to get, after all. “Don’t let it drag you down too much. If he’s worth it, he’ll come around.”

Carisi looked up, face still red but a familiar expression displaying “Who? Buchanan? That would be a first.”

Rafael was glad that they were at least back at bantering back and forth. “Merry Christmas Carisi.”

 

 


End file.
